Homemade lotion bars are all natural and easy to make

With only a handful of pure, all-natural ingredients, you can whip up a batch of homemade lotion bars that moisturize skin beautifully and will impress anyone who tries them.

Lotion bars are quick and easy to make at home. If you’ve detoxed your beauty routine and banished conventional lotion from the house, then you’ll know that moisturizing with natural oils such as sweet almond or coconut feels awesome but can get a bit greasy. Lotion bars, however, work well to moisturize dry skin without feeling greasy, thanks to the presence of beeswax.

Whip up a batch of lotion bars to give as gifts for Christmas and you’ll impress everyone – if you don’t use them all yourself!

Set out some molds – either a silicone muffin tin or a regular metal one lined with plastic wrap. You can use individual molds, or line a square straight-edged baking pan with plastic wrap; you’ll cut the bars into pieces after they set.

Place a quart-sized glass jar in a small pot of water and bring to a simmer. Measure out coconut oil and cocoa butter in a 1:1 ratio. For the small batch of 4 bars pictured above, I weighed out 2 oz. of each. You could also measure out ½ cup of each.

The amount of beeswax depends on how much oil you want to apply to your skin with the bar. Add the same quantity of beeswax as each of the oils to get lots of moisturizing power; or add slightly more beeswax to make it a bit less greasy. I used 2.5 oz. beeswax.

Place all ingredients in the jar and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat. Add the Vitamin E, if using, and 25-40 drops of your choice of essential oil. I like lavender, but citrus would be really nice, too. Stir thoroughly.

Pour into the mold of your choosing. Let sit undisturbed for several hours or overnight. Enjoy!